Archive for September, 2013

For the last three years many customers have visited our stand at country shows just to tell me how good our moleskin trousers are. I think 30 years is a record for wear so far, which whilst being quite extraordinary is also a long time between purchases!

I personally have three pairs, two standard fit and one jean style. After three years of very heavy wear they are as good as new albeit a little faded after so many washes. My wife actually enjoys pressing them and comments on how they return to such a smart appearance every time.

So why are they so much better than the majority on the market? Two main reasons, the first one is that we buy the very best Moleskin fabric available on the market.

The fabric is woven from a fine cotton yarn but compacted very tightly in weaving which gives weight to the fabric along with a very smart appearance. The fabric is then finished under heat which allows it to shrink fully which prevents further shrinkage after the garment is washed.

Other cheaper fabrics are loose in construction to reduce the cost of manufacturing which then causes shrinking problems later. Furthermore if the construction is loose then the yarns will work against themselves in wear and degrade much quicker.

Our fabric is also dyed with premium quality dyestuffs which allow many washes with very little colour loss. The second advantage to our trouser is the quality of garment manufacture. High quality pocket bags and waistbands and very strong threads added to top quality zips and fasteners. All of these extras add cost and it is an area where quality can be reduced in an attempt to achieve a cheaper selling price.

Our customer who had 30 years from his trouser in effect paid £2 per year for his trousers. So many people have told us that the cheap trousers only last a few months if they are lucky, so in real terms their purchase is costing over £50 per year.

Furthermore there is no pride in a garment that was made for price in a sweat shop in the far east.

All Ratcatcher garments are made within the EEC of which many are still sewn in the UK. All our tweed is woven in England and we are proud to play our part in supporting what is left of the British textile industry.

Although the Ratcatcher brand is well known in the country it is always hard to get the message further afield unless you are part of a multinational with millions to spend on advertising. We want our customers and bloggers to shout out our name to others in the hope that our quality can be enjoyed and valued by a much wider community.